Haiti

I have traveled to Haiti twice with Live Different and both times I left a little more of my heart there. I honestly don't even know where to begin. How these trips made me feel is hard to put into words. I found myself feeling very overwhelmed at the desperate need in Haiti. Being a nurse I found myself constantly shocked at the health disparities present and the unfathomable conditions people are living in. I also couldn't help but think about all the seemingly simple "fixes" like basic health education or proper garbage disposal and how much of a difference these things would make yet how unattainable they are in these countries.

Doing the day in the life experiences was definitely a highlight for me. Being able to interact with the families and have them open up their homes to us was very humbling experience and one that I will cherish for years to come. Being able to make a meal with the families, clean their home, and even make the long arduous trek just to get water everyday had such an impact on me it is hard to put into words. To say that it was eye opening is an understatement. Getting home and being able to just turn a faucet and have all the clean water you could ever want in seconds really puts it all into perspective.

The Live Different staff are amazing and definitely help make the trips all that they can be. I never felt unsafe and always knew I could rely on them to ensure we had the best experience possible. The knowledge they have surrounding the country, it's poverty, and culture is vast and results in trip participants coming away with new insights and perspectives that will ultimately change and reshape how they see the world and how they can have a positive impact in changing the world in only the best ways.

More than anything I would have to say they interacting with the families and children of the community is what really made the trip for me. Seeing how happy and loving those kids are despite their shocking poverty and living conditions is beyond words. Goodbyes are usually hard for me but saying goodbye to these children, families and this country was one of the hardest goodbyes I've ever said. All I can hope is that it's not goodbye but "see you later".